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Will Smith leads solid Durham response

Pat Gibson

July 23 2011, 1:00am, The Times

Di Venuto had made 46 when Kirby undid him with a short ball which he pulled to deep square legMatthew Lewis/Getty Images

Will Smith, who has rediscovered his appetite for batting after giving up the captaincy and dropping into the second team last season, made a resolute, unbeaten 58 as Durham, the championship leaders, mounted a solid response to Somerset’s first innings total of 480 on a rain-shortened day.

Smith had to withstand a typically fiery spell from Steve Kirby, who made a much-needed breakthrough for Somerset after he and Michael di Venuto had put on 84 for the first wicket.

Di Venuto had made 46 when Kirby undid him with a short ball which he pulled to deep square leg where Arul Suppiah deftly avoided stepping over the boundary rope as he clung to a head-high catch.

Kirby followed that with a rasping ball which Gordon…

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